Banff National Park stacks turquoise glacial lakes, hot springs and a walkable mountain town into Canada's oldest national park. Summer means hiking and canoeing; winter turns the same valleys into a ski destination with three interlinked resorts.
Good to know
- Moraine Lake Road is closed to private vehicles in summer — take the Parks Canada shuttle or a tour, and book it well ahead.
- Weather changes fast at altitude; layer up even in July, and check trail conditions for bear activity before hiking.
- A Parks Canada day pass is required for the whole area — buy it online before you arrive to skip the gate line.
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Eight-minute gondola ride to a boardwalk summit with views over the Bow Valley and six mountain ranges.
Mineral pool at 27–40°C with a mountain backdrop — the historic reason the town exists at all.
A Scottish-baronial 'castle in the Rockies' from 1888 — walk the grounds or have a drink even if you're not staying.
The town's main strip has everything from poutine counters to elk burgers and a proper Alberta steakhouse.
Small museum on mountaineering history and Indigenous culture in the Bow Valley — a good rainy-afternoon option.
Glacier-fed turquoise lake below the Victoria Glacier — arrive before 7am in summer or take the shuttle, since the parking lot fills by dawn.
Rent a canoe to paddle out onto the glacial lake, or a calmer float down the Bow River through town.
Even more striking than Lake Louise and harder to reach — private cars are banned in season, so book the shuttle ahead.
Suspended catwalks along a limestone canyon to the Lower and Upper Falls; go early or in winter for the ice-walk version.
Three interlinked resorts share a lift ticket in winter, with terrain for beginners through double-black bowls.
Slower, quieter alternative to the Trans-Canada Highway, good for spotting elk, bighorn sheep and the occasional bear from the car.
One of the world's most scenic drives, past glaciers and waterfalls, to a walk onto the Athabasca Glacier itself.